IWRITE this with a deep horror of sounding like Martha Stewart. You must all know her: America's Perfect Housewife. Hostess with the Mostest. Heroine of those who paint their pine cones, stuff snowpeas with cream cheese, and needlepoint Christmas stockings for the cat.
Anyhow, gifts to cook for Christmas. This, of course, is right up Stewart's street and I had to resist the urge to rush down to Page Two in Times Square, which carries a huge selection of her books, to plagiarise some of her ideas.
I am not particularly big on making cookies, sweets and cakes, so the selection is all-savoury. I made all these things in a day, rather enjoyed myself, will now give them away for Christmas, and will wait for people to coo and say how clever and so on.
Here is the lowdown on how to make them.
Devilled Cashews This recipe comes from Indra Jayasekera, a wonderfully warm woman who gives Sri Lankan cookery lessons. Her daughter, Samantha, is an awesome reader of tarot cards. If you can get the two of them together you can learn to cook and have your future told.
Mix one tsp each of paprika, turmeric, salt and one tbs water with 500 grams raw cashews. Allow to stand for an hour. Heat some corn oil in a wok and deep-fry the nuts in batches until evenly browned. Drain well on absorbent paper, sprinkle while warm with chilli powder and salt. When cool, pop into airtight jars and label.
Preserved Lemons This is a North African condiment that, once discovered, you will find indispensable. I always have a jar in the fridge and use it for all manner of things: adding bits to salads, using it to marinate fish or chicken for grilling, and slipping some under the skin of a chicken to be roasted. It is essential in the traditional Moroccan chicken casserole with chickpeas, cumin and cinnamon. The flavour of the lemons is salty and mellow, as if the sharp acidic edge has been rounded off.